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Garden Radio Round Up March 25 - 26

More showers on the way for Sydney and Brisbane this week, put down the watering can!

It's time to pack your bag and get ready for the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

It promises to be a big show with a focus on lifestyle, breathtaking floral displays and spectacular Show Gardens.

And, of course the Garden Clinic will be there too. Come see our stand and say hello to the team!

 

Graham with MIFGS 2016 award-winner, 'The Greenery Garden Centre Show Garden', designed by Vivid Design and constructed by Semken Landscaping. Photo - Linda Ross

 

Bush Garden

The Illyarie, Eucalyptus erythrocorys

Native to the limestone soils along the Western Australian coastline from Shark Bay south to Geraldton.

Adaptable to sandy, loamy soils on the east coast and seen growing in Griffith and the Australian Botanic Gardens, Mount Annan, NSW. Good drainage is essential. Prefers limestone or alkaline calciferous soils but adaptable.

High rainfall and high humidity is not conducive to successfully growing this spectacular tree.

This fast growing tree has multi-stemmed mallee-like growth to 6-8mand smooth gumtree-like bark. Not ironbark or fibrous.

Sometimes called Turks Cap or Red Capped Gum eluding to the bright red cap covering the flowers which drops off when stamens burst out.

Flowers are borne in large clusters in summer to autumn with striking bright yellow stamens.

The Red Capped Gum is suited to gardens in warm to temperate climates, is drought hardy and tolerant of light frosts.

In the garden it produces an upright spreading canopy creating light shade and a small tree for a small to medium sized garden. Highly decorative flowers makes this a very attractive small tree attracting bees, butterflies, nectar feeding birds and possums and gliders.

Kids love the large Gumnut Baby fruit capsules.

 

The large Gumnut Baby blossoms of the Illyarie. Photo - Graham Ross

 

Bugwatch

Lily Caterpillar

A veracious feeder on cliveas, crinum lilies, agapanthus, and any strappy leafed plants. Strips the surface off the leaves destroying its ability to produce food for the plant thereby ultimately killing it.

Numbers build up very quickly and can destroy clumps of bulbs in a matter of days if undetected.

 

A real nightmare for clivea, crinum lilies, agapanthus, and any strappy leafed plants, the Lily Caterpillar doesn't take long to have a massive impact. Photo - Graham Ross

 

Control

Can be picked off or sprayed with biological Dipel or organic Yates Success Ultra without impacting on other insects.

Interestingly related to cut worms or caterpillars.

 

Mushrooms not to be eaten

We have received lots of calls about mushrooms popping up in lawns everywhere, many people wondering whether they are edible. The climatic conditions, particularly in NSW have been perfect for the proliferation of mushrooms. The problem is there are so many dangerous mushroom genus that look virtually identical to the safe ones and it's just not worth risking your health guessing which one you've got.

 

These little fellas popped up in my lawn this week. Whilst they look a lot like the mushrooms I collected in Kurrajong in the Blue Mountains as a kid they may not be the same. They may in fact be poisonous, and could seriously harm or kill someone if eaten. Best not to risk it. Photo - Graham Ross

 

Come away with us

Outback Australia 29 Aug – 13 Sep 2017 with Libby Cameron

Experience the wide open spaces of the Outback with brilliant colours all around. See carpets of wildflowers, birds galore and vast starry nights. Traverse the Strezlecki track and visit iconic bush towns – Innamincka, Tiboorburra and Broken Hill. See the spectacular landscape of Wilpena Pound and Lake Mungo.

This is a rare opportunity to travel with a small group to remote parts of Australia.

To join Libby and the group on this fabulous tour go to the Ross Tours website, or call Royce or Roslyn at Ross Tours on 1300 233 200.

 


The red dunes of Strezlecki Track

 

In your garden

Weird leaves on Frangipani

Damien from Rosebury has glyphosate damage evident on his Frangipani. How can we tell? Check out the photo below!

 


This is very typical in many plants as a result of Glyphosate over-spray. When using herbicides make sure to choose a sprayer with a very focused spray jet, and never spray on a windy day.